Now that Manchester Proud has selected 2Revolutions – our educational planning partner – to help design Manchester School District’s new strategic plan, we are focused on making certain that the planning process continues to be very connected to the community as a whole. To ensure that this is the case, we are forming a Community Planning Group that will partner with 2Revolutions to guide the planning process, share drafts of the plan, and solicit broad feedback from the community.

As a volunteer organization comprised of community members, Manchester Proud has counted on volunteers organized by Work Groups to help get us to this point. This journey started over a year ago and the Work Groups have led our efforts in fundraising, communications, and the selection of our educational planning partner. Volunteers have knocked on about 2,000 doors in Manchester, conducted nearly 1000 online surveys, and continue to hold listening sessions in all of our schools with parents, teachers, students and with community partners around the city. It’s been an enlightening process and we are excited to share all of the data collected with 2Revolutions as the project moves into the plan design phase.

The Community Planning Group will play a crucial role in ensuring that feedback on drafts is broadly solicited, received and shared throughout the city. We are envisioning a group of about 30 that includes leadership from the school district office, school administrators, teachers, parents, students, representation from the City of Manchester, and at large representation from the business and not-for-profit communities. In order to be reflective of our schools – which currently serve a population that includes 40% of students who are children of color – the group must have representation from people of color. Of the 30 individuals, no more than three will be Manchester Proud Council members.

The application is simple and straightforward. It takes 15-30 minutes to complete and can be found here. Please note, the deadline for submission is February 5, 2019. Our goal is to have the Community Planning Group in place by mid-February.

A committee of community representatives will review applications and select members of the Community Planning Group. In order to ensure objectivity and authentic representation of the community, this selection committee will be comprised entirely of community representatives. Manchester Proud Council members will help support the process, but will not serve on the selection committee or participate in the selection process.

An outline of the expected responsibilities/time commitment is provided below.

Responsibilities/Time Commitment of the Community Planning Group

The actual scope of work of the CPG will be determined by the Group itself.  However, principal tasks of members are likely to include the following:

  • Attend Kick-off Workshop, to provide training regarding the mission, values, and work of Manchester Proud; introduce key initiative partners; define the Group’s operating protocols; and begin to cultivate a common sense of purpose, guiding principles and shared vision for the work ahead.
  • Attend Workshop to learn about the general state of the Manchester School District and findings of Manchester Proud’s community engagement work.
  • Prepare for and actively participate in monthly CPG meetings to contribute to the making of our plan.
  • Select Leadership Group (4-6 CPG members) to oversee the CPG and meet with Manchester Proud and its consultants bi-weekly or as otherwise needed to sustain progress.
  • Serve as liaison to the member’s peer group, reporting progress, sharing issues and opportunities for peer input, and ultimately ensuring that peers feel informed, listened to, and invested in the final plan.
  • Advocate for Manchester Proud by sharing our message and progress with others, and publicly endorsing our mission by attending events as needed and including your voice in our communications.

If you have any questions about the Community Planning Group or the application process, please contact us at outreach@manchesterproud.org.

NOTE: The deadline for application submissions has passed. Click the button below to find out about other ways you can become involved with Manchester Proud.

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